A DEVASTATING DISEASE YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HEARD OF BUT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT: C. DIFFICILE INFECTION

Listen to “A DEVASTATING DISEASE YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HEARD OF BUT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT: C. DIFFICILE INFECTION” on Spreaker.

C. difficile infection (C. diff infection) is a highly contagious bacterial infection that causes half a million illnesses and tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year. Yet, few people know what it is and how it occurs, despite being declared a public health threat by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).1-3

C. diff infection causes debilitating symptoms such as severe diarrhea, fever, stomach pain, loss of appetite, nausea and colitis.1 This infection can happen to anyone, at any age, and can be contracted in some of the most common places in the community and in hospitals.4-6 When the infection strikes, it can have a devastating impact on everyday life, including taking care of loved ones, going to work regularly and carrying out typical activities. And C. diff infection can come back – known as a recurrence.

Antibiotics – the current standard of care for treatment of C. diff infection – treat the disease but also can be a contributing factor to the cycle of recurrence.1,7 It has been estimated that up to 35% of C. diff infection cases can recur after the initial diagnosis8-11, and after first recurrence up to 65% may develop a subsequent recurrence.11,12

Recently, the FDA approved a first-of-its-kind microbiome-based treatment to prevent recurrent C. diff infection after completing antibiotics for recurrent C. diff infection.

Paul Feuerstadt, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine, will discuss:
• What is C. diff infection and who is vulnerable to contracting it
• Why does this infection recur and what are the consequences of recurrence
• What are the treatment options for recurrent C. diff infection
• How has the newest FDA-approved treatment changed how recurrent C. diff infection may be treated

Patricia, who suffered from recurrent C. diff infection, will share her personal story of her struggle with the infection, how it impacted her life and how she broke the cycle of recurrence.
Footnotes available on request

Courtesy: Ferring Pharmaceuticals
www.REBYOTA.com

Interview is courtesy of Ferring Pharmaceuticals